Resolved – That Councillor P Stuart be appointed Chair for this meeting.

Members of the Sub-Committee are asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non pecuniary interests, in connection with any application on the agenda and state the nature of the interest.

Members of the Sub-Committee were asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non pecuniary interests in connection with any application on the agenda and state the nature of the interest.

No such declarations were made.

The Managing Director for Delivery reported upon an application that had been received from the Licensing Authority for a Review of the Premises Licence in respect of The Venue, 30 Conway Street, Birkenhead, under the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003.

The Managing Director for Delivery advised that the Sub-Committee may, having regard to the application to review the Premises Licence and any relevant representations, take such of the following steps as it considered appropriate for the promotion of the licensing objectives:

·  Modify the Conditions of the Licence.

·  Exclude a licensable activity from the scope of the Licence.

·  Remove the Designated Premises Supervisor.

·  Suspend the Licence for a period not exceeding three months.

·  Revoke the Licence.

Members were informed that the Licensing Authority may decide that no action would be appropriate if it found that the review did not require it to take any steps that were appropriate to promote the licensing objectives.

The grounds for review were in relation to evidence of drug taking at the premises, breaches of the Premises Licence conditions and the fire exits being blocked.

A representation had been received from Merseyside Police which supported the application to Review the Premises Licence made by the Licensing Authority.  A copy of the representation was available.

Members were informed that the premises currently hold a Premises Licence allowing the licensable activities as set out within the report.

Mr A Bushell, Licensing Operations Manager attended the meeting together with Constable J Moran, Constable T Grafton, S Cushion and G Littlehales, Police Licensing.

Mr J Evans, Designated Premises Supervisor attended the meeting together with his representative, Ms S Maleki, Solicitor.

The Licensing Manager confirmed that all documentation had been sent and received.

Mr A Bushell reported that the premises had been before the Licensing Act 2003 Sub-Committee on a number of previous occasions and had not re-opened until the licence had been transferred to the current premises licence holder on 19 October 2016.  He advised that Mr Evans had become the Designated Premises Supervisor on 28 April 2017 and was also the Designated Premises Supervisor for another premises.  Mr Bushell informed Members that following a joint visit made to the premises with Merseyside Police that had taken place on 22 April 2017, a number of breaches of the conditions attached to the Premises Licence had been identified.  These related to the number of door supervisors on duty at the premises and the fact that they had not been wearing high-visibility jackets, the scanning device that was in place at the premises, the CCTV system, evidence of drugs being used on the premises, admitting members of the public after the permitted hours and the fire exits being blocked.

Members heard from Mr Bushell that he believed that the premises had not been run in a lawful or responsible manner and that the licensing objectives had been undermined.  He provided details of further visits made to the premises.  During a visit made to the premises on 25 May 2017  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53.